276 KENNEL DISEASES. 
from any poisons that may be in the air. It should be painted on with a 
camel’s-hair brush once or twice daily; after which the wound should be 
covered with a thick compress of linen that has been smeared with a little oil, 
mutton-tallow, fresh lard, or vaselin, to prevent its adhesion. Carbolized oil, 
which is made of 5 parts of carbolic acid and 95 parts of cotton-seed oil, is also 
a good application. When contused wounds are extensive and likely to be con- 
siderably inflamed, it is generally best to immediately apply cold water and keep 
it on constantly thereafter, for the purpose of checking the rush of blood to the 
affected parts, and thus prevent in a measure the severe congestion which is 
quite certain to follow. If, however, some hours have passed since the accident, 
and the wounds have become greatly inflamed, as a rule it will be necessary to 
treat them with poultices. 
The seriousness of punctured wounds depends almost entirely upon the 
parts reached. When made with a sharp, clean instrument, as a needle or 
a thorn, if the wound does not affect any important part, it generally heals at 
once by Nature’s own process, and without assistance. When, however, the 
flesh is penetrated by a blunt, rough, or dirty instrument, as a rusty nail, the 
wound does not heal kindly, for the tissues are torn and bruised. Moreover, 
rust, dirt, or other foreign matter has been carried in, to be retained, decompose 
and irritate; and thus severe inflammation is very liable to ensue. Again, it is 
in just such wounds that lockjaw is especially liable to occur. They are also 
troublesome from the fact that they often close up or heal near the surface, 
while pus remains at the bottom, to accumulate until finally it forcibly reopens 
at the top and discharges. Thus the course may be that of a frequently recur- 
ring abscess. 
Where a wound has been caused by a thorn or splinter of wood, and the 
same is still in it, if necessary the opening should be enlarged to favor removal. 
Wounds made by a rusty nail or any dirty thing must be cleaned as thoroughly 
as possible, and a syringe used for the purpose if required. Such wounds ought 
to heal up from the bottom, and be kept open at the top until the healing below 
is complete. If they close prematurely, their edges should be drawn apart, and 
a String, first oiled, be introduced to prevent a recurrence of the trouble; and 
this seton should be changed every two or three days. Externally, water or 
carbolized oil may be applied, unless considerable inflammation sets in; in 
which event poultices must generally be resorted to. 
Crushed wounds are usually serious, bones being frequently broken. There 
is but little bleeding, because the vessels are paralyzed. The immediate danger 
is likely from shock, after which there may be inflammation or still more seri- 
ous trouble. Assuming so many radically different forms as these injuries do, 
it is not possible to define even a general line of treatment, for manifestly in 
some instances recovery may take place readily without interference, while in 
others amputation may be imperative. 
